Arch support



1. T. McISAAC.

ARCH SUPPORT. APPLLCATION FILEDDCT. II. 192]- Patenned J an. 24, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. T. MclSAAC.

ARCH SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED on. n. 1921.

1,404,624. Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

IIIIIIIIII F I'm/7 f 1121122222....

Z Q' Jaizgfm'fimaa UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN THOMAS MCISAAC; OF EAST WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LEWISA. CROSSETT 00., OF NORTH ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION "OFMASSACHUSETTS.

ARCH SUPPORT.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHNT. MCISAAC, a citizen of the United States,residing atEast WVeymouth, in the county-of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new andv useful Improvements inArch Supports; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

'5 The present invention relates to the art of boots and shoes, and hasmore particular reference' to the construction of arch support.

An object of the present invention is to afford'a substantial supportfor the arch of the foot when bearing the weight of the body,,butbecoming at once pliable when the foot is flexed in the act of walkingor bending, to permit of thenatural freedom ofthe muscles; thusincreasing the strength of the muscles andpreventing the same frombecoming atrophied or hardened, such as is the case when a rigid andunyielding arch support is resorted'to.

' Another object is to'provide an arch support which is combined in'theshoe structure,

so that' the arch support is an inherent part of the shoe and is thusmaintained at all times .in correct position relatively to the shoe andto the foot, and cannot be displaced or Inisapplied such as whenseparate arch supports are used. 1 Y

The invention still further aims at the provision of an archsupportembodied in a shoe or boot construction which serves to.re'enforce the parts of-the boot or shoe and which may be incorporatedin such structure without material change in the detail construction andassemblage of the parts, and which will not destroy the exteriorconfiguration ofithe shoe but rather tend to hold it toits true andinitial shape.

' \Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will bemore fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularlypointedout in the claims appended hereto.

, Inthe drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an 24, 1922. Applicationfiled October 17, 1921.

Serial No. 508,148,.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe, the upper thereof being in dottedlines and embodyingan arch support constructedaccordingto the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a detail top plan view of the outsole and heel part of a shoeconstructed according to this invention; 7

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the same, having the heel portionapplied thereto.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken through the shoe substantially onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the.

indicating arrows.

Fig. '5 is a longitudinal section taken through the lower part of a shoesubstantially on the line5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the outsole,looking uponthe upperside thereof.

Fig. 7 isa detail edge view of the outsole.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through the outsole taken substantiallyon the line 88 of Fig. 6, and looking in the direction of theindicati'ngjarrows. V

Fig. 9is a detail perspective view of the heel lifts constructedaccording to this invention and looking toward the upper surfacethereof.

Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 1 1 is a sidejor edge view of the assembled heel lifts.

Fig. 12 is' a longitudinal section there through taken substantially onthe line 1212 of Fig. 9; and, i

r Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section similar to F 1g. 5, but with theparts in position such as they assume when in a finished shoe.

Referring to the drawings the present invention is illustrated asapplied to one type of shoe, although it will be apparent that theinvention may be, embodied in various types of boots and shoes accordingtot-he' requirements of use and manufacture. In the present illustration15 designates the upper portion of a shoe which is provided with anoutsole 16, and the fore part of the outsole is of any suitableconfiguration and construction which is desired. This outsole 16, asbestshown in Figs. 6,7 and 8, is pressed or molded to form with the heelpart 17 depressed or off-set downwardly with respectto the general planeof the outof curved transverse section and gradually tapers in width anddepth from the heelpart 17 ,toits forward-end, and at the, latter mergesinto the general plane of the shank 18. This formationof the depression19' provides a downwardly off-set reinforcemerit or strut for'th'e'shank1'8 of theoutsole and this reinforcement is of 'a transversewidth less than that. of' the shank 1 8, and is located midwaybetweenthe] lateral edges thereof]; I a V I The outsole is adapted to besecured to the upper portion'15' of the'shoe in the usual manner withthe exception of the heel part 17 which, is off-set downwardly from-theheel portion oft-he upper part 15, the space between the heel partz17andthe upper 15 receiving'a filler 2O'whioh, as best shown in Figs. 9 to12 inclusive,comprises aphirality of lifts of leather or'fother'suitable material forming the up ortion, of the heel of the shoe; Thelifts are provided with forwardly projecting tongues 21 which "taper inwidth and'tliickness toward their outer iends and which conform 7 tovthe depression 19 in the outsole, for filling such depression and.providing a reinforcing tongue which is'capable of being flexed .un-

35 der conditions whichlbe ndthe shank of the shoe! The; outsole extendsbeneath the tongue 21 and the filler 20,an da.heel. rpiece 22 of rubberor other suitable material may be secured against the under s de of theheel part 1? ofthe outsole to elevate the same to the desired heightandcomplete "the heel structure of the shoe. Tliis ffiller 20,- of leather,wood, fiber, steel or othensuit able material, is encased within thedepression 19; and completelyhidden from view. VVhenthe outsole with:its heelandshank brace vis attached ,to: the: upper. portionf15 of theshoe, it is held intlie finished position as shown in Figs. 1 and-13,andin which theshank 18, extends forwardly and downwardly at a slightangle, and the tongue 21 ofthe filler 20 is also flexed in suchdirection as to liein the recess 19 and fill and reinforce thedownwardly off-set brace which is struck from the outsole.

This tongue 21 may be secured by glue, cementor the like to the innerface of the depressed support 19, and the layers of the tongue may becemented or otherwise suitably secured together-to form a compact fillerwhich is flexible to such extent as topermit the action of the musclesin the arch of the. foot and-atthe same time which is sufficiently rigidto tend lvid'e'd with a {let 7 tongue fillingsaid depression in theshank of theoutsole for yieldingly maintaining the shank of theoutsolein shape, substantially as described,

to support the arch and maintain the same in its proper position.

The upper surface of the filler 20 and its tongue forms a continuationof the upper face of the outsole and provides a relatively smoothsurface for the insole and the foot.

The tongue or projection 21, being a part of the heel structure, isrelatively rigid and cannot be permanently displacechand thus forms asuitable reinforcement and filler for the depressed brace or strut ofthe outsole.

it is obvious that various changes and modifications may beinade inthe'details of construction and design of the above specificallydescribed embodiment of this invention without departing from the spiritthereof, such changesaiid modifications be- I V by the SCOPG'Of the folinQ- restricted only lowing claims.

lVhat is claimed is: I 1.111 a shoe, an outsolehaving' a longitudin'aldepressionin the shank thereof for maintaining the shank in shape andhaving a downwardly off-setheel part. at the rear end of the sha'nk, anda heel having "lifts arranged above said heel part on the outsoleprovided with forwardlyjarojecting erposejdtongues extending into theconcavity said depressed portion toreinforce at same'andmaintain saidshank in shape, substantiallyasdeseribed. V In shoe, the comoitltlOllOf'aIl QlltSOlE "havinga depressed heel part and a depressedstrut extending from theheel part into the shan oft-he outsole forreinforcing the iankpand a'li'eel having an upper portion 7 arrangedabove the heel part of the outsole and having a forwardly projectingtongue amanged."to lieiin the depression of-the' shank for reinforcingthe latter and holding it toIsha-pc, substantially asdescribed'.

3.: In a shoe, the} combination of an outsole having a downwardlyoff-set heel part and a depressed strut'exten'ding from the: heel partinto the shank of theoutsole, and a heel "having an upper portionarranged above the heel part of the outsole and 'proble forwardlyextending 4." In a shoe, the combination of an outsole a portion'of theshank thereof deh avin pressed downwardly to provide a reinforcemerit;for the shank, and a heel part1 having a. portion arran ed above theoutsole, and

provided with yieldable fille'r projecting forwardly into the concavityof the depressionin the shank of theoutsole for 'yi'eldably supportingthe Shankand permitting flexing thereof; under bending conditions,substantially a described. 4 7

its,

5. In a shoe, the combination of an outsole having a downwardlydepressed heel part and a forwardly extending depression in the shankportion of the outsole for reinforcing the shank portion and a heelhaving a plurality of lifts secured together and provided with forwardlyextending portions in superposed relation secured together to form atongue, said tongue being shaped to the configuration of the depressionin said shank 10 portion of the outsole for filling the same andyieldably supporting it under pressure of the foot, substantially adescribed.

JOHN THOMAS MGISAAC.

